Peter  Francisco 


AN  ADDRESS 


BY 


HON.  B.  F.  DIXON 

Delivered  at  the  unveiling  of  a  Tablet  to  his  Memory 
at  Guilford  Battle  Ground,  July  4th,  1910 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

GUILFORD  BATTLE  GROUND  CO. 

GREENSBORO.  N.  C. 


Peter  Francisco 


AN  ADDRESS 


BY 


HON.  B.  F.  DIXON 

Delivered  at  the  unveiling  of  a  Tablet  to  his  Memory 
at-Guilford  Battle  Ground,  July  4th,  1910 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

GUILFORD  BATTLE  GROUND  CO. 

GREENSBORO.  N.  C 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2011  witii  funding  from 

University  of  Nortii  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/peterfranciscoad61dixo 


Mr.  President  atid   Gentlemen   of   Guilford  Battle   Ground 
Company,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

In  the  South  from  the  time  of  the  earliest  settlements, 
tobacco  raising  was  a  profitable  industry,  and  the  question  of 
labor  a  very  important  one.  England  undertook  to  supply 
this  demand,  and  great  numbers  of  people  were  sent  over 
from  the  mother  country.  Convicted  criminals  were  trans- 
ported here,  as  later  they  were  sent  to  Botany  Bay.  Others 
from  the  lower  classes,  who  were  unable  to  pay  for  their 
transportation,  were  also  sent  to  this  country.  A  protest 
from  the  Colonies  against  the  criminal  class  was  sent  over  to 
England,  and  their  transportation  gradually  ceased.  Boys 
and  girls  were  kidnapped  in  the  streets  of  London  and  shipped 
to  America,  to  be  indentured  to  farmers.  The  cry  for  cheap 
labor  was  still  heard  in  the  land,  and  they  brought  negroes 
from  the  jungles  of  Africa,  until  the  South  was  filled  with  a 
people  that  has  caused  untold  suffering  and  sorrow  to  this 
goodly  land.  And  now  the  cry  has  been  going  up  from  the 
manufacturers,  especially  of  the  North,  for  cheap  labor,  and 
a  class  of  undesirable  citizens  has  been  pouring  in  there, 
which  will  give  this  country  trouble  again  unless  something 
is  done  to  check  it. 

About  the  year  1768  an  English  vessel  landed  at  City 
Point  on  the  James  River,  in  Virginia,  and  among  other  things 
brought  to  that  colony  was  a  little  boy  6  or  7  years  old,  with 
keen  black  eyes  and  dark  complexion,  with  a  shock  of  black 
hair  covering  his  well  shaped  head.  He  was  too  small  to  be 
of  service  to  any  one  and  so  this  kidnapped  waif  was  left 
upon  the  wharf  when  the  ship  sailed,  and  there  he  stayed 
for  several   days  without  a   friend;  his   wistful   eyes   often 

3 


turned  down  the  river  in  a  vain  search  for  some  one.  His 
cry  might  have  been  heard  at  midnight,  as  the  wail  of  a 
child  for  a  lost  mother.  The  sailors  fed  him  to  keep  him 
from  starving.  There,  thousands  of  miles  from  those  who 
might  have  cared  for  him,  alone,  friendless  and  penniless, 
was  little  Peter  Francisco.  He  who  does  not  let  a  sparrow 
fall  without  his  notice,  however,  did  not  forsake  Peter,  and 
finally  a  very  kind-hearted,  sympathetic,  benevolent  man  (we 
have  a  goodly  number  of  the  same  sort  with  us  today,)  took 
the  little  fellow  to  his  home.  Oh !  no !  he  sent  him  to  the 
poor  house  of  Prince  George  County,  where  you  may  be 
sure  he  was  clothed  in  fine  linen  and  fared  sumptuously  every 
day — just  as  they  do  now,  especially  in  those  counties  where 
the  poor  are  put  up  to  the  lowest  bidder — that  is  the  man 
who  will  keep  them  the  most  scrimpingly.  Peter  remained 
in  the  poor  house  until  he  was  large  enough  to  be  of  service  to 
man,  and  then  he  was  bound  out  to  Mr.  Anthony  Winston, 
of  Buckingham  County,  Va.  Mr.  Winston  lived  in  the  country 
between  the  historic  Appomattox  and  the  magnificent  James 
River,  in  a  beautiful  home  known  as  Hunting  Tower.  Mr. 
Winston  was  an  uncle  of  Patrick  Henry,  and  young  Peter 
was  brought  to  his  16th  year  in  a  family  full  of  patriotism 
and  love  of  liberty,  and  in  an  old  country  home  which  is 
about  as  near  to  the  mansions  in  the  skies  as  any  place  on 
earth.  This  brave,  intelligent  boy  imbibed  the  spirit  of  the 
times,  and  became  enthusiastic  for  the  American  cause.  He 
was  noted  at  an  early  age  for  his  physical  strength.  He  was 
a  born  athlete.  He  could  throw  down,  out  run,  or  whip  any 
boy  in  Buckingham  County,  and  the  wonderful  feats  performed 
by  him  won  for  him  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  whole 
community.  The  war  spirit  v/as  strong  in  him  and  at  the 
age  of  16  years  he  obtained  permission  from  Mr.  Winston  to 
join  the  American  Army  as  a  volunteer,  and  from  that  day 
to  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown  his  strong  right 
arm  and  his  undaunted  courage  were  used  in  behalf  of 
American  independence. 

Peter  Francisco  was  a  modern  Hercules,  and  his  personal 


appearance  was  most  striking.  He  was  the  kind  of  a  man 
that  people  turn  to  look  at  when  he  passes  by.  Over  six  feet 
high  and  weighing  260  pounds,  without  an  ounce  of  super- 
fluous flesh,  an  extremely  handsome  face,  with  black  hair  and 
piercing  black  eyes — no  wonder  people  looked  again  at  him. 
An  ordinary  sword  was  entirely  too  short  and  light  for  him 
to  use  effectually,  and  General  Washington  had  one  made  for 
him  in  a  blacksmith  shop,  six  feet  long,  which  he  could 
wield  as  a  feather.  A  veritable  giant,  with  an  eye  like  a 
hawk — the  spirit  of  a  king  eagle,  a  breast  like  a  lion,  strong 
as  a  buffalo,  and  with  the  breath  of  a  hound.  He  could  keep 
pace  with  the  King's  horsemen  in  their  fiery  rides.  He  was  a 
typical  American  soldier.  Devoted  passionately  to  the  cause 
which  he  had  made  his  own,  there  is  no  such  picturesque 
figure  in  the  whole  continental  army  as  Peter  Francisco. 

He  entered  most  heartily  upon  the  duties  of  a  soldier, 
and  received  his  "baptism  of  fire"  at  the  battle  of  Brandy 
Wine  under  the  gallant  LaFayette.  In  the  following  month 
he  participated  in  the  battle  of  Germantown,  and  although 
our  army  was  defeated,  the  fault  did  not  lie  at  the  door  of 
Francisco,  and  the  heroic  bearing  of  men  like  him  made 
Frederick  of  Prussia  say  that  "when  the  American  soldiers 
become  disciplined  they  will  be  very  formidable."  It  is  but 
natural  then  that  the  soldiers  themselves  should  soon  have 
received  encouragement,  and  that  a  vision  of  great  posibilities 
should  have  lured  them  on  to  more  daring  deeds. 

Immediately  after  the  battle  of  Germantown  we  find  our 
hero,  under  Col.  Smith,  taking  part  in  the  defence  of  Fort 
Mifflin,  which  was  situated  on  an  island  in  the  Delaware  River. 
Day  after  day  the  besieged  withstood  the  bombardment  of  the 
enemy  with  persistent  energy  and  bravery,  until  the  block 
houses  were  beaten  down,  the  palisades  demolished,  and  the 
guns  dismounted.  Many  of  the  brave  defenders  were  killed 
or  wounded,  and  when  the  few  still  left  were  unable  to 
longer  defend  the  fort  they  set  fire  to  whatever  was  com- 
bustible, and  crossed  the  river  at  night  by  the  light  of  the 
flames.     Young  Francisco  during  this  terrible  siege  stood 


side  by  side  with  the  bravest  of  the  defenders  and  was  the 
peer  of  the  best.  He  was  with  his  command  during  that 
awful  winter  at  Valley  Forge,  and  at  Monmouth  the  follow- 
ing summer  when  he  was  severely  wounded.  He  appears 
again  at  Stony  Point  under  "Mad  Anthony  Wayne".  The 
first  man  to  enter  the  fort  was  Major  Gibbon  and  next  to 
him  was  the  dauntless  dark  eyed  Francisco,  who  killed  the 
color  bearer,  and  received  a  bayonet  wound  in  his  own  body. 
This  exploit  gave  him  great  renown,  and  he  became  the  hero 
of  his  command.  Later  we  find  him  under  General  Morgan, 
taking  part  in  many  skirmishes,  around  New  York  and  Phila- 
delphia. There  was  a  marked  resemblance  between  Morgan 
and  Francisco  in  person  and  character.  Morgan  was  of 
gigantic  stature  and  strength,  and  of  unsurpassed  courage  and 
fortitude.  Like  Francisco,  he  was  faithful  in  every  fibre  and 
Morgan  was  a  figure  to  stir  the  imagination  and  ambition 
of  a  young  giant  like  Francisco.  Coming  South  with  Morgan 
he  was  at  the  battle  of  Camden,  where  he  witnessed  the 
defeat  which  caused  the  "Laurels  of  Saratoga  to  change  to 
Southern  willows".  In  this  battle  Francisco  saved  the  life 
of  Col.  Mayo,  by  killing  the  man  who  had  his  gun  leveled 
at  the  gallant  Colonel.  At  the  close  of  the  battle  he  was 
charged  upon  by  one  of  Tarleton's  troopers,  but  that  proved 
to  be  his  last  charge,  for  Francisco  ran  his  sword  through  the 
trooper's  body,  and  mounting  his  horse  made  his  escape.  Later 
he  again  came  upon  Col.  Mayo,  whose  life  he  had  saved  but 
an  hour  before,  and  finding  him  exhausted  from  fatigue,  he 
dismounted  from  the  dead  trooper's  horse,  and  insisted  upon 
the  Colonel's  mounting  him  in  his  stead,  and  upon  this  horse 
Col.  Mayo  was  enabled  to  reach  Hillsboro,  North  Carolina. 
Out  of  gratitude  for  this  act  of  unselfish  devotion,  and  for 
the  greater  act  of  saving  his  life,  Col.  Mayo  afterwards  pre- 
sented Francisco  with  a  thousand  acres  of  fertile  land  in  the 
State  of  Eentueky. 

After  the  defeat  of  Gates  at  Camden,  Gen.  Nathanael 
Greene  was  placed  in  command  in  the  South,  and  this  General, 
aided  by  the  intrepid  ]\torgan,  soon  changed  affairs  and  new 

6 


hope  again  came  to  our  army.  The  battle  of  Cowpens  was 
a  decided  victory.  Morgan  and  Francisco  were  there.  Cam- 
den was  redeemed.  Then  came  the  Battle  of  Guilford  Court 
House,  and  on  this  spot  Francisco  did  some  of  his  most 
wonderful  fighting.  That  long  sword,  made  in  a  blacksmith's 
shop,  was  very  bloody.  The  carnage  was  dreadful  and  Lt. 
Holcomb,  of  Washington's  light  horse,  says  that  the  strong 
arm  of  Francisco  slew  three  men  in  one  charge,  and  eleven 
before  the  battle  was  over.  One  of  the  enemy  made  a  fearful 
thrust  with  his  bayonet  at  Francisco  and  pinned  his  leg  to 
his  saddle.  Francisco  quietly  assisted  his  foe  to  extricate 
his  bayonet,  forbearing  to  strike  an  enemy  while  practically 
unarmed,  but  as  soon  as  the  man  was  in  a  position  to  defend 
himself,  Francisco  made  a  furious  blow  wdth  his  sword,  which 
cleft  the  fellow's  head  down  to  his  shoulders. 

Francisco  received  the  commendation  of  Col.  Washing- 
ton for  his  matchless  bravery  on  this  battlefield.  After  the 
excitement  of  the  battle  was  over  Francisco  found  himself 
]iinable  to  move  on  account  of  that  bayonet  thrust  which  had 
entered  above  the  knee,  piercing  the  whole  length  of  the  leg  to 
the  hip  socket.  Francisco  was  left  upon  the  battle  field 
among  the  dead.  In  this  lone  and  bleeding  condition  he  was 
discovered  by  some  good  man  who  took  him  to  his  home  and 
cared  for  him  until  he  could  once  more  mount  his  faithful 
horse.  I  wish  I  knew  the  name  of  that  good  Samaritan. 
I  would  be  glad  to  call  it  in  this  presence  today. 

There  v/as  at  one  time,  under  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  a 
private  soldier  who,  like  Francisco,  refused  to  be  promoted, 
l)ut  preferred  to  remain  in  the  ranks,  and  who  v/as  so  brave 
and  devoted  and  daring  that  he,  like  Francisco,  became  the 
hero  of  his  command,  and  when  he  was  killed  Napoleon 
ordered  that  his  heart  should  be  taken  out,  and  intrusted 
to  the  keeping  of  his  regiment,  and  when  his  name  was 
called  the  next  to  him  should  answer,  "dead  upon  the  field 
of  honor".  Had  Francisco  died  on  this  spot,  well  might 
the  same  thing  have  been  done  for  him.  No  braver  or  heroic 
man  ever  marched  up   to  the  loaded  cannon's  mouth  than 


Peter  Francisco.  As  soon  as  Francisco  could  travel  he  set 
out  for  Virginia,  and  shortly  after  his  return  he  had  a  most 
thrilling  experience.  While  alone  one  day  he  fell  in  with 
nine  of  Tarleton's  Cavalry,  and  one  of  them  demanded  his 
knee-buekles.  "Take  them  off  yourself",  replied  Francisco. 
The  cavalryman  stooped  to  unbuckle  them,  when  as  swift 
and  as  silent  as  an  Indian  Francisco  seized  the  fellow's  sword, 
split  his  head  open  and  turning  killed  two  others,  one  of 
whom  sat  upon  a  horse,  snapping  a  musket  in  his  face.  The 
others  fled,  and  Francisco,  mounting  one  of  the  enemy's 
horses,  made  his  escape  in  the  face  of  Tarleton's  troops  con- 
sisting of  400  men  who  were  riding  rapidly  to  the  rescue  of 
their  fellows. 

At  Yorktown  the  military  career  of  our  hero  closes.  He 
witnessed  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  and  the  Revolutionary 
War  was  over — the  independence  of  the  Colonies  assured. 

The  following  story  is  told  of  Francisco  by  no  less  a 
personage  than  Henry  Clay : 

Henry  Clay  paid  him  a  visit  about  1826,  when  examining 
his  large,  muscular  arms,  jNIr.  Clay  asked  him  if  he  had  ever 
met  his  equal.  Francisco  replied  that  when  he  kept  a  tavern 
at  the  New  Store  a  Mr.  Pamphlet  rode  up  one  day,  and  made 
a  full  stop ;  he  advanced  to  meet  him,  supposing  him  a  guest, 
when  Mr.  Pamphlet,  sitting  on  his  horse,  addressed  him  thus : 
"Are  you,  sir,  Peter  Francisco?"  "Yes,  sir."  "Well,  I 
have  rode  all  the  way  from  Kentucky  to  whip  you  for  noth- 
ing." "Sir?"  "Yes,  sir."  Francisco  called  to  a  servant, 
telling  him  to  go  to  the  meadow  and  bring  him  a  bunch  of 
willow  switches.  When  they  had  been  brought,  Francisco 
handed  them  to  Mr^  Pamphlet,  requesting  him  to  use  them 
over  his  shoulders,  and  to  go  back  and  say  that  he  had  accom- 
plished his  purpose.  Mr.  Pamphlet  seeing  his  proposal  turned 
into  ridicule,  dismounted,  and  entering  a  flowergarden  in 
which  Francisco  stood,  asked  if  he  might  be  allowed  to  feel 
of  Francisco's  weight.  With  ease  he  lifted  the  giant  several 
times,  saying,  though,  that  he  was  quite  heavy.  "Now,  Mr. 
Pamphlet,  let  me  feel  of  yours,"  said  Francisco,  who  lifting 


the  sportive  gentleman  t^dce  into  the  air,  the  third  time 
pitched  him  over  a  railing  fence  four  feet  high  into  the  public 
road.  The  would-be  bully  wailed  from  his  dusty  resting 
place,  that  if  Francisco  would  put  his  horse  over  also  he 
would  go  home  satisfied.  The  story  goes,  vouched  for  by 
many  reliable  people,  that  Francisco  led  the  horse  to  the 
railing,  and,  with  his  left  arm  under  the  horse's  breast  and 
the  right  one  behind  him,  put  him  over  as  requested,  after 
which  performance  the  discomforted  Mr.  Pamphlet  took  his 
way  back  to  Kentucky.  Mr,  Clay,  it  is  said,  laughed  heartily 
over  this  story,  exclaiming  that  he  was  indeed  glad  to  know 
one  of  the  mischievous  Pamphlet  family  had  at  least  been 
conquered.  At  that  time  many  malicious  pamphlets  concern- 
ing him  were  in  circulation. 

The  native  worth  of  Francisco  introduced  him  into  good 
society,  and  his  matrimonial  connections  were  highly  credit- 
able. His  first  wife  was  Mary  Anderson ;  second,  Catherine 
Fauntleroy  Brooke ;  and  third,  Mary  B.  "West,  a  widow  whose 
maiden  name  was  Grymes;  each  of  whom  belonged  to  repre- 
sentative Virginia  families.  A  portrait  of  Francisco  hangs 
in  the  State  Library  at  Richmond,  Virginia. 

In  1819  Francisco  applied  to  Congress  for  a  pension,  but 
owing  to  the  spirit  of  parsimony  which  then  existed,  the  pen- 
sion was  refused,  and  this  heroic  old  soldier  died  without 
any  recognition  of  his  services  by  the  government,  the  inde- 
pendence of  which  he  had  fought  for  so  bravely  and  well. 
Congress,  after  his  death,  however,  did  pension  his  widow. 

Francisco  was  for  several  terms  sergeant-at-arms  of  the 
House  of  Delegates  of  Virginia,  and  was  serving  in  that 
capacity  when  he  died.  The  Richmond  Enquirer,  of  January 
17th,  1831,  gives  the  following  obituary  notice : 

Died. — On  Sunday,  in  this  city,  after  a  lingering  indis- 
position, Peter  Francisco,  Esq.,  the  Sergeant-at-arms  of 
H.  of  Delegates,  and  a  Revolutionary  Soldier,  celebrated 
for  his  extraordinary  strength,  his  undaunted  courage,  and 
his  brilliant  feats.  The  House  of  Delegates  have  determined 
to  pay  him  the  honors  of  a  Public  Funeral,  and  to  bury  him 

9 


with  the  honors  of  war.  The  House  have  accordingly  ad- 
journed until  tomorrow.  The  Eesolutions  passed  on  this  occa- 
sion, and  the  Encomiums  that  were  paid  to  the  old  Soldier's 
memory,  are  dietailed  in  our  account  of  the  Proceedings  of  the 
House. 

Proceedings  in  the  House  of  Delegates,  January  17, 1831 
Death  op  Peter  Francisco 

Mr.  Yancey  said,  that  he  had  the  painful  duty  to  perform 
of  announcing  to  the  House,  the  death  of  Peter  Francisco, 
late  Seargeant-at-arms  of  this  body.  He  had  yesterday  re- 
ceived a  message  from  him,  expressing,  as  his  last  dying 
request,  a  wish  to  be  buried  with  military  honors.  Mr.  Yancey 
had  prepared  two  or  three  resolutions  for  the  occasion,  which 
he  would  now  submit: 

Resolved  unanimously,  As  a  testimony  of  regret,  for  the 
death,  and  a  token  of  respect  for  the  memory  of  Peter 
Francisco,  Sergeant-at-arms  to  this  House,  that  the  mem- 
bers of  this  House  will  form  a  procession  and  attend  the 
place  of  his  interment. 

Resolved  also,  That  in  consideration  of  the  distinguished 
military  services  rendered  by  the  said  Peter  Francisco,  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War,  that  the  Governor  of  this  Com- 
monwealth cause  the  remains  of  the  said  Peter  Francisco 
to  be  interred  with  military  honors,  and  at  the  public  expense. 

Resolved,  That  a  conmiittee  be  appointed,  to  consist  of  five 
members,  to  superintend  the  funeral,  arrange  the  order  of 
procession,  and  interment  of  Peter  Francisco,  deceased,  and 
that  the  committee  invite  the  attendance  of  the  Governor  and 
Council,  the  Speaker  and  members  of  the  Senate  and  their 
officers. 

Mr.  Barbour  rose  to  second  the  resolutions  presented  to 
the  House.  The  loss  of  any  citizen,  who  was  an  officer  of 
the  House,  could  not  but  be  deeply  regretted.  But  Francisco 
was  no  common  man  and  he  was  happy  that  some  record 
was  to  be  left  to  his  merits  and  his  memory.    In  ancient  times 

10 


monuments  were  erected  to  men  who  had  performed  worthy 
services;  but  in  modern  times  their  worth  was  inscribed  on 
our  records  and  by  the  aid  of  the  press  were  sent  far  and 
wide.  He  had  said  Francisco  was  no  common  man.  By 
nature  he  had  been  endowed  with  extraordinary  strength, 
the  most  determined  intrepidity,  and  the  warmest  patriotism. 
It  was  not  his  lot  to  be  advanced  in  rank  during  our  Kevolu- 
tionary  struggle.  But  as  a  private  soldier  he  gave  a  striking 
example  of  bravery,  and  performed  exploits  that  have  scarcely 
ever  been  excelled.  Niot  only  in  the  North,  but  the  South,  he 
displayed  his  heroism.  And  the  achievements  which  he  per- 
formed in  Virginia,  overcoming  three  or  four  of  the  enemy, 
and  causing  them  to  fly,  leaving  their  property  in  his  pos- 
session, has  seldom  been  equalled.  Let  us,  then,  perform 
due  honors  to  the  memory  of  Francisco.  Such  opportunities 
of  honoring  the  brave  would  not  occur  very  often,  for  the 
ranks  of  the  Revolutionary  heroes  were  fast  decaying.  By 
the  arms  of  such  men  the  liberty  of  our  country  was  achieved, 
an  achievement  of  vast  moment  to  the  whole  world,  for  it  had 
not  been  confined  to  this  country.  It  had  gone  across  the 
waters,  to  the  shores  of  Europe,  where  nations  were  follow- 
ing the  example  of  America.  To  such  men,  then,  honor  was 
due ;  and  he  joined  most  heartily  in  the  respect  proposed  to 
be  paid  to  the  remains  of  Peter  Francisco. 

Col.  Edward  Pescud,  of  Petersburg,  Va.,  married  Susan 
Brooke  Francisco,  the  daughter  of  Peter  Francisco  by  his 
second  wife,  Catherine  Fauntleroy  Brooke,  of  Essex  County, 
Virginia.  Col.  Pescud  was  the  editor  of  the  Republican,  a 
paper  published  at  Petersburg,  served  in  the  war  of  1812, 
and  was  a  very  prominent  citizen.  Peter  Francisco  Pescud, 
the  oldest  son  of  Col.  Pescud,  married  Mary  Wilson,  and 
their  eldest  son,  John  S.  Pescud,  married  Isabella  Hinton, 
and  their  descendants  are  living,  most  of  them,  in  North 
Carolina.  Jane  Pescud  married  Prof.  W.  A.  Withers,  now  of 
the  A.  &  M.  College  at  Raleigh ;  Mary  Wilson  Pescud  married 
Percy  Lynch,  of  New  Orleans ;  Annie  Lawrence  Pescud  mar- 
ried H.  J.  Lovick,  of  New  Berne,  and  Miss  Isabella  Pescud 

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and  John  Shaw  live  with  their  father,  John  Shaw  Pescud,  in 
Raleigh,  N.  C. 

A  large  number  of  other  descendants  are  now  living  in  Vir- 
ginia, Louisiana  and  elsewhere.  These  have  all  had  a  glorious 
heritage  left  to  them  by  their  splendid  ancestor  of  blood  and 
bravery.  How  very  fitting  that  a  tablet  to  the  memory  of 
Peter  Francisco  should  be  unveiled  today  upon  this  battle- 
field, where  he  did  some  of  his  most  heroic  deeds,  and  where 
he  poured  out  his  blood  so  freely  for  American  Independence, 
How  seldom  do  we  find  tablets  unveiled  or  monuments 
erected  to  the  man  behind  the  guns,  but  officers  of  an  army 
could  make  no  renown  if  they  had  no  brave  men  to  do  the 
fighting.  I  take  my  hat  off  to  the  private  soldier,  to  the  man 
who  never  wavered  in  battle  or  on  the  march,  whose  brawny 
arm  and  trusty  broadsword  thinned  the  ranks  of  the  enemy 
wherever  he  went,  the  man  whose  memory  we  honor  today 
by  yonder  tablet,  the  typical  American  soldier,  Peter  Fran- 
cisco. 


[  In  the  erection  of  monuments  upon  its  grounds  the  Guil- 
ford Battle  Ground  Company  achieved  the  most  gratifying 
success  of  its  history  July  4,  1909.  Handsome  memorials  to 
Clio,  the  muse  of  history,  and  to  Dr.  David  Caldwell,  were 
completed  and  dedicated,  and  also  a  fine  octagon  shaft  to 
Colonel  William  Washington,  to  whose  command  Peter  Fran- 
cisco belonged,  was  also  completed,  except  tablets  to  same. 

In  the  spring  of  1910,  through  the  patriotic  liberality  of 
Mr.  Peter  F.  Pescud,  a  native  of  Raleigh,  N.  C,  now  a  citizen 
of  Louisiana,  a  large  and  handsome  bronze  tablet  to  his  ances- 
tor, Peter  Francisco,  was  presented  the  Company,  attached 
to  this  shaft  and  unveiled  July  4,  1910. 

Jos.  M.  Morehead, 
President  Guilford  Battle  Ground  Company.  ] 

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